


Land of Ruins and Sky

by Binary_Sunset



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, First Meetings, Gift Fic, Jean is from the South, Jean isn't, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Marco is a Homestuck, Marco is from Boston, art student!Marco, law student!Jean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-16
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2018-01-15 21:42:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1320205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Binary_Sunset/pseuds/Binary_Sunset
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marco has been dating the boy he met online for almost a year now. Living as a broke art school student hasn't made things any easier. During finals, Jean calls Marco with a proposition, only to bring it up again once he's actually coherent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Land of Ruins and Sky

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Phosphene](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phosphene/gifts).



> This was a gift for the lovely Jean (AKA tumblr user angelictea) to celebrate the one month anniversary of us exchanging Skype contacts. I basically combined each of our respective headcanons into this fic and I'm really happy with the result. I hope he likes it and y'all should go follow him and his Attack on Titan blog horseface-and-freckles.
> 
> Also, I am not an art student. Nor am I an artist. Seriously, I can't draw for shit. I'm also not a law student. More importantly, I can't write southern accents despite having many friends in North Carolina.
> 
> Edit: Went back and fixed some typos. I was pretty drowsy when posting this.

Marco placed his tablet and pen on the table in front of him. Come on, this was a commission, he should at least get the _linework_ done. He laid his head down on the table and let out an audible groan. He just couldn’t fucking do this. Being an art student during finals week and being a functional human being tended to be mutually exclusive.

The Skype video chat signal came like some sort of godsend of procrastination. Without even thinking to check his appearance, he clicked the “answer with video” option out of pure habit.

The video answered with his boyfriend, Jean’s face, looking strangely awake for it being so early in his timezone. He must’ve just finished his coffee or something. He laughed slightly before greeting Marco with “You look like death.”

“No, Jean, I look like finals, though death is probably more merciful,” he let out a loud yawn before closing SAI and putting down his tablet.

“Oh, that sucks. Sounds like art school finally started kickin’ your ass, huh?” Jean looked over his disheveled boyfriend before saying “You have, like, 5 different shades of green in your hair, by the way.”

“It’s funny because I find myself really not caring. If I have paint in my hair, I have paint in my hair. I’m just going to paint more and then get more paint in my hair until I shower and get it out,” he muttered, pretty much a deadpan. “What the hell are you even doing up this early? Isn’t it, like, ass o’clock in the morning over there?”

“Marco, it’s noon in California. Please tell me you don’t have any classes before 3 PM.”

The other boy visibly paled, widening his eyes. “It’s 3 PM?”

Jean nodded. “Yeah. Why, did you miss something?”

The art student shook his head. “No, it’s a weekend. I just… I stayed up for twenty-eight hours straight working on this damn painting, and it’s barely even done. Like, I still have whole sections that still need detail work and shading… Thank God I’m working in oil.”

Jean smiled. “Well, I’m just going to bring it up, but have you thought about what you’re going to do for your birthday? I mean, it’s coming up pretty soon, so…”

Marco groaned loudly. “I am not even in the right frame of mind to draw my OTP for a commission. Do you really think I’ve paid thought to anything other than this damn project!?”

“Come on, yankee, I was just gonna invite you to live with me in Raleigh for a few weeks,” Jean explained defensively. After being in law school in California for law school, Jean’s native southern drawl had all but vanished. It would noticeably return at times, such as when talking about his hometown. “Also, which OTP?”

“Jean, I’d love to make plans with you, but I don’t even know what the date is. I’ll talk to you about it once this project is over, alright? And it’s Dirkjake.”

His boyfriend’s eyebrows shot up. “I understand not wanting to draw Destiel, but Dirkjake? That’s pretty major. You must be pretty burned out, huh?”

Marco nodded. “Yeah, I’m just mentally exhausted. I’ve been sketching concept art for this since the moment it was assigned, but it’s just so hard to put to canvas. Don’t get me wrong, I love the damn thing, I’m just under caffeinated and overstressed.”

Jean smiled. “Then get some rest, Marco. You can work on your project later. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Marco nodded. “Alright. I’ll get to sleep. I love you, Jean.”

“I love you too, Marco,” Jean said before disconnecting the call.

After closing his laptop, the art student barely made it to the couch before slipping out of consciousness.

\--------------------------------

It took the rest of the week for Marco to finish his painting, but as soon as it was done, he called Jean to tell him the good news.

“Hey yankee, how’re finals going?” Jean greeted. He looked over Marco again before commenting, “You look much better than last time. There’s only one shade of green in your hair this time.”

Marco laughed, appearing to be back to his cheerful self. “Yeah, I finally finished, thank God. It’s like I got a huge weight taken off my shoulders and it feels great.”

His boyfriend smiled. “Yeah, I’m really happy for you! Do you mind if I could see how it turned out?”

Marco shook his head. “Not at all, now that it’s done. Though I might have to warn you: it’s not going to look as good as it does in real life because of the camera.” He picked up his laptop and marched his way through his apartment to the room place he’d spent most of his time working. The studio was far from clean: blankets strewn about on the sofa and the floor around it (both of which Marco had taken to sleeping on). Mixed in with the sheets were several wrappers from whatever Marco had thrown into the microwave to feed himself. On a side table were a few tubes of oil paint and a mixing palette stained with several different colours: different vibrant shades of green, some purples and blues, and, most noticeably, a dark, muted yellow. Jean was able to get a pretty good look at them with the way Marco was holding his laptop.

“Alright, sorry the apartment’s a mess. I literally just finished. Marco moved the laptop so Jean could see a different section of the room. In the epicentre of the mess was a large canvas, which Jean could imply was Marco’s final project.

It was a landscape, first and foremost, that much Jean remembered Marco telling him. It was of a dense jungle, laden with vines and ancient-looking ruins. There were statues of strange-looking gods that Marco had nailed down to the finest detail, including several cracks that had small jungle plants growing out of them. There was even a large elaborate temple-like structure, with pillars and obelisks. However, that wasn’t the focus of the painting. The perspective had been tilted upwards so only the tops of the temple and the tallest pillars and statues could be seen. The largest portion of the painting was taken up by the elaborate sky: it consisted mostly of nebulas that spread themselves across the sky. They were mostly several different shades of green, mingling in with a multitude of stars all painted my a considerate and diligent hand. The other most noticeable things in the night sky were three other objects, larger than the stars, that were each coloured a different colour: one bright red, one navy blue, and another aqua green. Jean guessed them to be planets and they just gave the entire painting an otherworldly feel.

His face lit up as he looked at every inch of the painting. “Marco, this is beautiful! I can’t believe you were actually able to do this in just a few weeks!”

The art student smiled. “Thanks. It took me a while to get all the cracks in the statutes and such. I used my really expensive oils too. I figured, you know, this is my final grade. Might as well go all out.”

“Did you name it yet? Please tell me it has a name. I swear to God, I will buy that shit off you and hang it in my apartment.”

Marco laughed. "Yeah, it's a Homestuck thing. Each of the characters gets their own land, you see. I know you don't read it, but this is my land, the Land of Ruins and Sky. If you want it, you don't have to pay. I'd be glad to give it to you."

"Those paints are expensive, and I have the money. Just let me buy it from you," Jean insisted, "I'll hang it up in the living room in my apartment. It's really plain, you know?"

Marco sighed. "You really don't have to do that..."

"But I want to. I have the money and your art is beautiful. And I'm probably just going to make more as lawyer, so..."

Marco turned around and head back to his kitchen and away from the mess. "I know, Jean. I guess I'm just a little nervous about meeting your parents. Or even being near them, really. I'm just some boy from Boston you met online and turned you gay."

"They're fine with that, I already told them. They just wanted me to go to law school and carry on the Kirschstein name. They don't know I'm dating someone, though."

"They basically bribed you, though! I mean, 'go to law school and we'll pay'? Doesn't that feel a bit forced?"

Jean sighed. "Look, we've been through this. I want to be a lawyer. Don't worry about it, Marco. I'll be happy. I am happy." He took a breath. "Anyway, I know you’re birthday’s coming up, and I already know what I’m buying for you.”

“Oh?” Marco interrupted. “Will you need my address? I’ve moved since I started school.”

The other boy shook his head. “No. I was actually wondering if I could give it to you in person.”

Marco’s entire face lit up. He stared at his boyfriend through the computer screen. “You mean… like, actually meeting up? For real?”

Jean nodded. “I actually brought this up to you last Saturday.”

“God, the last week is, like, such a blur to me right now. I just… I really can’t believe it!”

The other boy laughed. “I already bought the tickets. It’s a plane from Boston to Raleigh. My apartment isn’t far from the airport either. I’ll meet you there.” He flashed Marco a wide smile.

“Are you fucking kidding me!? Well, yeah I’m going! Thank you so much!” The freckled boy put a hand over this mouth, hiding probably the widest smile he ever wore. A few tears of happiness trickled down his face.

“Are you okay?” Jean asked, looking Marco over.

The other boy nodded. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I just… I can’t believe it.”

\---------------------------

Marco got off his plane, a bit stiff from sitting down for so long. Raleigh airport was significantly smaller than Logan, and it didn’t take long for him to find his luggage. As he started to make his way out of the airport, he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his shoulders and pull him tight.

“You walked right past me, yankee,” Jean’s voice said from behind him. In the week between his return from California and Marco’s arrival, his usual southern drawl had all but returned. It just felt… right. Jean had that accent since the moment Marco met him for the first time and it felt so strange to hear anything else coming from his mouth.

The art student’s face lit up. “Jean!” He turned around and hugged his boyfriend tight for the first time since they started dating a year ago. “Jean… I can’t believe it!” If anyone had told Marco that in barely a year he’d be able to touch his boyfriend in real life, embrace him in an airport after having known him for longer than a year, he would have told them it was wishful thinking. But this… this was real.

Jean kissed the top of Marco’s head. “Come on, I’ll get your bags and drive you home.”

Marco nodded. “Thanks. I can grab my laptop and my carry-on.” He handed one of his bags to the other boy, keeping the other two.

They made their way out of the airport and towards Jean’s car and packed Marco’s things in the trunk. Both boys sat in the front, Marco planting a kiss to the side of Jean’s head as he got into the driver’s seat.

Jean turned to his boyfriend. “By the way, I have a surprise for you once you get home.” He put the car into gear and started to drive away.

\----------------------------------

Jean put his key in the door to his apartment. “There’s only one bed. I hope you don’t have a problem with that.”

Marco chuckled. “I think that’s the opposite of a problem.”

Both boys stepped inside the spacious apartment. It did look rather plain. The walls were all painted a bright white, and the furniture was rather uninteresting as well. The fact of the matter was, it hardly looked lived-in. This probably made sense, as Jean hadn’t touched the place since going off to California for his second year of law school. They both ended up on the couch, Marco laying his head in Jean’s lap.

The older boy looked down at his boyfriend. “So, you survived your first year of art school and you’re officially nineteen today, huh?”

Marco nodded. “June 16, yeah.”

“Before the obligatory ‘just met in real life sex’ happens, I actually have some stuff for you.” He got up and headed into the bedroom, coming back with a slightly large box, wrapped up in festive santa-patterned wrapping paper. It would have been a lot more festive if it wasn’t the beginning of summer. “Sorry about the paper, I didn’t have anything else in the house…”

Marco laughed. “I think it’s impressive that you actually managed to keep it.” He grabbed the box and tore it open, revealing a rather plain cardboard exterior. The top of the box was hastily masking taped together, and Marco found it easy to pull apart. As he opened the box, he revealed a black shirt with a mustard yellow Gemini symbol across the front. “Oh my God, you didn’t…” As he pulled out the shirt, a small orange pin dropping to his lip. Upon closer inspection, it was shaped like a baseball cap. “Holy shit! Jean, I thought you didn’t read Homestuck!”

“I don’t! I swear, I just scrolled down your blog to figure out what to get you,” Jean explained. “Also, your URL kind of helped. Come on, there’s one more thing in there.”

Marco peered into the box, seeing a black zipper hoodie, a circular, white symbol with 7 curved arms donned both the left side on the chest and the majority of the back. “You even got the right god tier hoodie!” He put it down and hugged his boyfriend tight. “I love you so much, Jean. Thank you.”

Jean smiled. “Try it on. I’m not sure I got the right size for those…”

The other boy tore off the shirt he was wearing and slipped on the black t-shirt and the hoodie on top of it. “Yeah, everything fits.” He attached the pin to the undecorated side and sat back on the couch. “By the way, I’m gonna have to hold off on the sex for tonight.”

“What?” his boyfriend asked, kind of annoyed. “Why?”

Marco blushed and looked down. “This hoodie’s really comfortable….”

Jean sat back on the couch, resting his arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders. “Well, it’s going to be a bit too hot for a hoodie tomorrow.”

The other boy looked Jean in the eyes, a mischievous expression on his face. “Then I can’t wait for you to take it off of me.”

**Author's Note:**

> (If someone draws Marco wearing all his Homestuck stuff, I will die.)
> 
> My headcanon god tiers for Jean and Marco are Thief of Time and Page of Space respectively. Also, Marco has a fancrush on Dirk because, TBH, who doesn't have a fancrush on at least one of the Striders? (Assuming the person in question likes guys). Jean and Marco are an Aries and a Gemini respectively in canon, which is made even cuter when you realise their patron trolls (Aradia and Sollux) are actually a couple.
> 
> Also, Marco's URL is dirks-yankee and Jean's is angel-of-the-lord, which he's been hoarding for the longest time...
> 
> IDK, on the one hand, I feel like I should apologise for all the Homestuck references, on the other hand, I think it shows how considerate Jean is when giving gifts. Up to interpretation, I guess.
> 
> Edit: Forgot to mention that my tumblr URL is aro-ackermans, so feel free to follow me. I also take requests.
> 
> EDIT: This bitch takes [ commissions](https://aro-ackermans.tumblr.com/post/160970900544/hey-everyone-now-that-i-am-officially-no-longer).


End file.
